There's also the more recent anime, which sets the Seven Samurai in a sci-fi realm.posted by Atreides at 7:43 PM on January 19, 2013

John Saxon (Enter the Dragon), Richard Thomas (John Boy from The Waltons), George Peppard (The A Team) and Sybil Danning (Chained Heat). This is the A-List of 1980 (not 80s, just 1980) awesome. Except John Boy, whose presence increases the awesome to 11.posted by zippy at 7:47 PM on January 19, 2013 [3 favorites]

Roger Corman is an institution. We'll all be the poorer when he finally dies.

If you're a Netflix subscriber, I think you can also stream Battle Beyond the Stars.

Can and did and will again.posted by Artw at 7:59 PM on January 19, 2013

I love seeing bits of that movie in other movies.

I'd love to see a Roger Corman Film Database, with cross-referencing for elements of his films re-used in other films. It would be amazing.posted by filthy light thief at 8:00 PM on January 19, 2013 [2 favorites]

Japanese SF/F is hard to grok at times, their notion of time and space and genre is very fluid. While there is an element of pre-industrial in the series, there is nothing steampunk about Kikuchiyo apart from the random bursts of actual steam. The dude is not coal-fired, all I'm saying.posted by Slap*Happy at 8:08 PM on January 19, 2013 [3 favorites]

You can totally hear Star Trek II in the opening theme. It's almost shameless.posted by bicyclefish at 8:16 PM on January 19, 2013

This has gone unwatched as one of the 230+ rotating selections in my Netflix queue for some time now, but this post has inspired me to watch it first thing tomorrow morning. Thanks, flt.posted by item at 8:18 PM on January 19, 2013

In and around all the obvious borrowings from Goldsmith's Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Alien, and even A Patch of Blue in Battle Beyond the Stars are the fledgling ideas that would later be fleshed out in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Aliens, Cocoon, and even Willow. The raw enthusiasm written into this score is something that slowly taped off as Horner matured, however, leaving classically complex compositions that have rarely matched the brute excitement heard in this 1980 work.

God I remember loving that movie when I was a kid. Thanks for the memories.posted by immlass at 8:28 PM on January 19, 2013

In and around all the obvious borrowings from Goldsmith's Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Alien, and even A Patch of Blue in Battle Beyond the Stars are the fledgling ideas that would later be fleshed out in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Aliens, Cocoon, and even Willow.

TBH I pretty much assumed Corman grabbed someone who could score music off the street and got them to write something similar to, but legally distinct from, the Star Trek score.posted by Artw at 8:33 PM on January 19, 2013 [1 favorite]

I saw this at the cinemas, VHS, and most recent DVD.
It holds up surprisingly well given its peers.

And Star Control II remains up there as one of my favourite computer games ever. Even if I never did stop the Ur Quan plot.posted by Mezentian at 9:02 PM on January 19, 2013

Wait... that Stomp Tokyo link mentions the Marvel Star Wars but completely snubs Jaxxon.
Does that seem right to you?posted by Mezentian at 9:12 PM on January 19, 2013

A fun B-movie. I'd say Corman got his $2 million worth, and then some. I always get a kick out of the night-before-battle scene, with George Peppard playing "Red River Valley" on the harmonica and roasting weenies, and the two Kelvins serving as a "campfire."

Re: people involved with the film who went on to bigger & better things - I think I knew at one point, but had forgotten until re-reading the film's IMDB page, that John Sayles wrote the screenplay for this, one of several he did early in his career for Corman.

I know Corman is still making pictures - his IMDB page lists 400(!) producing credits, with three movies set to come out this year - but I'm curious if there's anyone who'd be his present-day equivalent for today's direct-to-DVD market, producing entertaining cheap movies with a good eye for talent. Any of you MeFi-ite movie buffs have recommendations?posted by Nat "King" Cole Porter Wagoner at 9:26 PM on January 19, 2013 [1 favorite]

John Saxon (Enter the Dragon), Richard Thomas (John Boy from The Waltons), George Peppard (The A Team) and Sybil Danning (Chained Heat). This is the A-List of 1980 (not 80s, just 1980) awesome. Except John Boy, whose presence increases the awesome to 11.

How did you get through that list and not mention Robert Vaughn?posted by Tell Me No Lies at 9:30 PM on January 19, 2013

How did you get through that list and not mention Robert Vaughn?

Because he was the only actor in the cast who seemed like a sensible casting choice.posted by zippy at 9:51 PM on January 19, 2013

Beyond the stars?!

WTF did I just watch?!?posted by mazola at 11:35 PM on January 19, 2013

Incidentally, one might note that there has been a "Star Trek" episode at least loosely based on "The Magnificent Seven." It might be more, uh, humorous than one might prefer, but I happen to like it: "The Magnificent Ferengi," episode 10 of the excellent season 6 of Deep Space Nine.

And, yeah - every episode of Deep Space Nine was recently added to Netflix streaming (and Hulu+) - if you're into that sort of thing. Good timing if you (like me) are hoping to brush up on your Trek knowledge while following along with Larp Trek.posted by koeselitz at 12:26 AM on January 20, 2013 [1 favorite]

"We require four persons to control this craft"
"Why s there five of you?"
"We always carry a spare."

I don't thin you could get away with a film like this today. More's the pity.posted by happyroach at 2:13 AM on January 20, 2013 [1 favorite]

When it went to cable back in the early 80s, I remember this movie being touted on HBO as kind of big deal; it got a Friday and Saturday night primetime slot one weekend. All I remember:

- The front of the spaceship looks like a large boob.
- Richard Thomas, talking to some bad guy/alien, says the line "...let me rephrase that" and it was fucking hilarious to me at age ten. Don't remember the context of that conversation at all.

I'm intrigued now that I see John Sayles was a co-writer. Maybe worth another watch?posted by zardoz at 2:26 AM on January 20, 2013

"You need to work on your personality." - Ultra Warrior ftw. This is such a bad bad film, one of those 80s mad-max alike things, but with a bizarre middle section containing clips from BBtS which has no relevance to the rest of the film. And so many other bits of footage (an eagle in clear blue sky) where which have been lifted from elsewhere.

There is a sex scene early in the film which is either stock/soft-porn footage or something, and you can clearly tell this is not the protagonist you saw enter the room with the woman he just met. You can even hear where they have looped the "oohh ahh yes baby" audio.

Also, at the beginning it is all about lack of resources, yet there are dance clubs open, with neon lights.

Overall, 10/10 as a bad movie. It has everything, God bless Corman..posted by marienbad at 2:54 AM on January 20, 2013 [1 favorite]

This is not a good movie, but, when I am bedeviled by the nonsensical actions of the hidden cogs of beauracracy/administration, I still find myself crying out in anguish "Why can't my mutants be intelligent!?!"

...people involved with the film who went on to bigger & better things...

That's going to be the epitaph on Corman's gravestone. The list of big name Hollywood types who got their starts with Corman is long and amazing. (e.g. Ron Howard's directing career really started with Corman)posted by Chocolate Pickle at 8:04 AM on January 20, 2013

Yes, I referred to and what folks above correctly identified, Samurai 7. It's been a number of years since I watched (own it - but my anime collection is currently in storage), but it's definitely science fiction, if with a feudal twist (like Dune, for example). It's available now for streaming on Netflix for who who are interested.

None the less, this post is the second reference to Battle Beyond the Stars in a couple weeks. It seems like the universe is trying to tell me something.posted by Atreides at 8:14 AM on January 20, 2013

I like the way the first spaceship you see on screen, a couple of minutes into Battle Beyond the Stars, looks exactly like it would if someone had bought model kits of the first two spaceships you see in Star Wars and stuck the front of one on the back of the other.

That is an awesome spaceship and don't you mock it! But yes, yes it does.posted by Artw at 8:22 AM on January 20, 2013

I remember seeing BBTS in the theater when I was 12 and thinking "This is like The Magnificent Seven in space." and then I saw Robert Vaughn and thought "This is The Magnificent Seven in space!". I still have fond memories of this movie (especially Nestor).posted by MikeMc at 9:35 AM on January 20, 2013

My little brother and I loved this movie. We were really disappointed you couldn't get a Nell spaceship to play with so we tried making our own.posted by ob1quixote at 12:10 PM on January 20, 2013

Some of the dialogue is lifted directly from the subtitles of the original. IIRC, it's the scene in the original set in the mill where they are talking about pay.

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